Eagle, Three Birdies End Long Dry Spell For Calcavecchia

Mark Calcavecchia used an eagle-3 on the 11th hole to pull into contention, then birdied three of the last four holes Sunday to win the $1.3 million BellSouth Classic in Marietta, Ga., ending a three-year victory drought.

He closed with a 6-under-par 66 for a total of 17-under 271 on the hilly Atlanta Country Club course.

Jim Gallagher Jr., the third-round coleader, was two shots back after finishing with a 70 for a 273.

The other third round co-leader, Jim Keppler, failed in his bid to become the first club pro to win a PGA Tour event since Richie Karl won the B.C. Open in 1974. Keppler birdied the final hole for a 71-274, finishing alone in third place.

Calcavecchia picked up a $234,000 first prize for his seventh career victory, his first since winning the 1992 Phoenix Open.

John Daly struggled to a 72, falling back in the pack at 277, but hit the most memorable shot of the tournament when he drove the green on the 335-yard, par4 14th, nearly producing a hole-in-one. He missed the eagle putt, but had a tap-in for birdie.

Bill Porter Jr. of Quincy, Wash., finished with a 74 for a total of 281. Pullman’s Kirk Triplett struggled to a final-round 80 to finish at 3-over-291.

Bob Murphy took a two-shot victory in Charlotte at the PaineWebber Invitational, N.C., shooting a final-round, 3-under-par 69 for a tournament recordtying 13-under-par 203. He outlasted Raymond Floyd, who undermined his own strong start with a wobbly finish.

Murphy started the day with bogey, regained that shot on the second hole and picked up another one at the seventh hole, going out in 35. His last birdie was at 13, and as it turned out, it would be the last one he’d need to claim the $120,000 prize.

In taking his second win in 1995, Murphy claims his sixth Senior PGA Tour title, surpassing the five tournaments he won on the PGA Tour.